2009 Senate Key Votes

111th Congress

How Scoring Works

FreeedomWorks identifies the most important votes on issues of economic freedom and scores Members of Congress based on their votes. We use a scale of 100, so the higher the score the more often the Member is on our side fighting for lower taxes, less government and more freedom.

Special Votes

Possible vote augmentations include:

Vote is weighted as double the score of a typical vote when figuring a legislator's overall score.

Vote is weighted as triple the score of a typical vote when figuring a legislator's overall score.

Vote is disregarded when figuring a legislator's overall score.

Legislators not Scored

The following legislators were not scored for this year because FreedomWorks has determined that they missed too many votes to receive a fair and accurate score.

Alan Stuart Franken

Senator Franken has not been scored for 2009 because he was not sworn in until July due to the legal challenges over his election.

Edward M. Kennedy

Senator Kennedy was not scored for 2009 because he was hospitalized, and died in August.

Paul G. Kirk

Senator Kirk has not been scored for 2009 because he was elected in a special election in September and missed the majority of the year's votes.

George S. LeMieux

George LeMieux has not been scored for 2009 because he was elected in a special election in August and missed the majority of the year's votes.

Key Vote Descriptions

This legislation calls for spending an additional $33 billion over the next five years to expand coverage under the S-CHIP program. At a time when our nation is facing record-breaking deficits in the trillions of dollars, expanding autopilot spending programs should not be on the agenda.

"Nay" votes scored.

Key Vote 2: On the Motion: S.Amdt.168 to H.R. 1 - To stop implementation of the stimulus spending.

This amendment would attempt to stop implementation of the stimulus spending. Deficit spending is out of control and is not capable of bringing the United States out of the recession. Any control over stimulus spending would be welcome.

The Ensign/McConnell “Fix Housing First” amendment would offer government backed fixed mortgages at 4% to “any credit worthy” borrower either to purchase a new home or refinance. This plan, which reportedly could cost as much as $200 billion dollars, is a flagrant misuse of taxpayer funds and in essence creates a new housing entitlement fund.
This amendment's cost violates the pay-as-you-go requirements of the Budget Act, so a point of order was raised against the amendment. The vote being scored would waive that point of order and allow the amendment to proceed to a vote on final passage.

"Nay" votes scored.

Key Vote 4: On the Conference Report: H.R.1 - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

This bill would create $787 billion in new government spending on projects designed to stimulate an economic recovery. It is neither the government's role, nor is it within its ability, to spend the economy into prosperity. This stimulus package merely spends a fortune in taxpayers' hard-earned money to give away to whatever special interests are best able to claim that they can "create jobs".

"Nay" votes scored.

Key Vote 5: S.Amdt. 573 to S. 160 - Preventing the fairness doctrine

This amendment, sponsored by Senator DeMint, would prevent the Federal Communications Commission from implementing the fairness doctrine. The fairness doctrine would violate freedom of speech and represents an overreach of government power.

The budget taxes too much, spends too much, and borrows too much. And, potentially worst of all, it would open the door for socialized medicine and a massive energy tax to be enacted later this year without substantial debate through the reconciliation process.

"Nay" votes scored.

Key Vote 7: H.R. 2346 - Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009

The bill includes a $100 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. The bill contains funding for other projects that should not be used as a vehicle to ram IMF funding through Congress. Using this method to get the IMF funding passed is dirty Washington politics and law makers should reject it.

The bill includes a $100 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. The bill contains funding for other projects that should not be used as a vehicle to ram IMF funding through Congress. Using this method to get the IMF funding passed is dirty Washington politics and law makers should reject it.

A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the update under the Medicare physician fee schedule for years beginning with 2010 and to sunset the application of the sustainable growth rate formula, and for other purposes

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, or so-called “minibus” would combine six of the seven remaining appropriations bills to fund nine Cabinet departments to the tune of $447 billion and $600 billion in funding for Medicare and Medicaid for a total of $1.1 trillion; a 13% increase over FY 2009 and a 25% increase over FY 2008.

This is the vote on the final passage of ObamaCare. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act neither protects patients nor provides affordable care. It would kill jobs, drive up the price of health care, bankrupt the government, and ruin the world's best health care system. The bill also contains an individual mandate, which forces everyone to either purchase health care or pay a penalty, violating our individual liberty.